Heroism
by Jennifer Darknight
Summary: Inspired by Scribbler's "Variation on a Theme". Miho Nosaka wasn't much of a hero, but when it came to the strange man living in her head, sometimes even she could be. ::Takes place in hybrid universe of Season 0 and Duel Monsters::


**Title: **Heroism

**Characters: **The Nameless Pharaoh, Miho Nosaka, Hiroto Honda, Yuugi Mutou, Jonouchi Katsuya, Ryou Bakura.

**Genre: **Friendship

**Twist: **This is a oneshot inspired by the fanfic "Variation on a Theme" by Scribbler, in which Anzu inherited Yami instead of Yuugi. But I took this one step further—what if Miho, the overly-bubbly blue-haired girl from Season 0, did it instead? This reflects my speculation as of how this would turn out. (I might turn this universe into a long fic eventually)

**Words: **3, 376

**Summary: **Miho wasn't heroic by any means, but she found that when it came to the strange, savage man living inside her head, she could become a hero.

**Note: **The story, as it does star Miho, is a hybrid of Season 0 Canon and Duel Monsters Canon. The story itself takes place during the precursor of Battle City. And if you're wondering who "Yuu" is, that's actually the Pharaoh. Miho just calls him "Yuu" due to his resemblance to Yuugi. And since this is based in part on Season 0 Canon, Honda is a sort of developed version of his Season 0 self, who's slowly growing into his more wild Duel Monsters counterpart.

* * *

On a normal day, she would have probably been annoyed that she had lost her favorite ribbon—no, undoubtedly, she was going to have a straight-up panic attack once she woke up and the reality set in. It was her absolute _favorite, _made from soft silk with a bright golden hue, and it was always, _always_ in her hair. Even when the Millennium Puzzle had taken its spot as a rather bizarre hairpiece (how the girl'd managed to apply the proper counterweights to keep it there was anyone's guess), she'd somehow found a way to weave that ribbon in with the puzzle itself, complementing the gold exterior rather than clashing with it. It was as though without it, she wasn't...herself. A part of her was lost, even though that was absolutely ridiculous—a simple piece of fabric couldn't possibly make a girl.

On a normal day, her hair being mussed up would have also been an issue—she'd always brushed it over a hundred times every morning, with that one extra brush for good luck, though good luck for _what_ nobody was ever certain of. But those brushstrokes didn't show their strength, and her hair its normal luster...instead it was dulled and pale, almost white as it fanned out against the pillow.

On a normal day, she would have hated being seen with such a smudged up face, or with her skirt torn or her earrings missing...

But that day wasn't exactly 'normal'.

Miho Nosaka wasn't smiling, nor was she gleefully bouncing behind the rest of the group, or talking about some new fad or what-have-you whilst throwing varying looks at the nearest lamp-post or traffic barrier. Her face wasn't bright and cheerful, nor was it with any expression at all—it was covered with the quiet neutrality of oblivion, her body vulnerable as it laid on the barely-constituting-as-bedding hospital bed.

Anzu had left to go 'get some drinks', with Honda and Ryou not far behind, while Jonouchi had gone to try to find Yuugi, who had left to 'go get something' thirty minutes ago.

Miho was only going to be let be for a few minutes—long enough for a girl to have a private moment to catch her breath, but not long enough for her to have an inner monologue.

_"...They're gone now."_

The Spirit didn't need to say much else to blow Miho's cover—playing opossum was something she did often and well, but it was hard to fool someone sharing her headspace. Miho's eyes twitched, before her right eye opened entirely, almost testing the waters of the empty hospital room.

"Miho doesn't like seeing everyone upset." She said, both eyes open now. She let out a wince, attempting to sit up. If she noticed the tone of the Spirit's voice, she certainly didn't show it. "She decided that she would wait until everyone else was gone."

_"They'll be upset anyway._"The matching tone was sharp, with an edge slicing at the end of each word. _"Miho. Just what the __**hell**__ were you thinking?"_

"Thinking about what~?" A common tactic—a singsong voice to throw him off—maybe even cause remote irritation.

A common tactic that always seemed to _work_, damn it all.

_"I'm not in the mood for your childishness." _It was almost like it was back then again—when Miho would flinch at the simple sound of his cutting remarks and sharp tongue. Her shoulders scrunched slightly, and she shut her eyes tight, as though to ward off some coming blow._ "If it weren't for Yuugi, you would have—"_

"And if it weren't for Miho," Miho snapped back, eyes flecking up, "The puzzle would have been broken, and you wouldn't be able to talk to Miho right now."

_"I can certainly see how much use that would have been for me, what with the puzzle being unable to be removed from a rung in the wall and melting while you burned to death."_

"But the puzzle isn't melted, Miho completed it, and she isn't dead." She let out a 'hmph' as she ran her fingers through her hair, tossing it over her shoulder in a typical irritated gesture.

_"That doesn't change the fact that you __**nearly died**__ for it." _

"Miho _didn't_ die, though. Yuugi saved us."

Damn her for being so stubborn. She was like a brick wall—you could talk to her, but sanity and logic would just bounce against the surface, allowing only the workings of her own mind to remain. Sometimes logic would filter through, but it would often require something drastic—possession, near-death, or worse—to do it...and even then, the lessons learned were miniscule. It was hard to believe that this...this stupid_(not as much as one may think, admittedly_)_,_ useless(_If it had to do with anything physical, anyway_) slip of a girl managed to get her hands on the Millennium Puzzle, much less _solve_ it.

Miho Nosaka would rather focus on the ramifications of losing her favorite ribbon, or having one of her gold rings (bought for her by admirers—no way could she afford this on her own meagre paycheck...not that the noodle bar took her very seriously as an employee anyway, what with all the disappearing she did. Admittedly, most of that was due to the Spirit's influence and involvement, though he never found himself apologizing or even making excuses for it) fall under the couch than the idea that she had risked her own life. If it weren't for his own voice, filtering through the puzzle into the almost too-willing mind of Yuugi Mutou as he had tugged at the then-completed artifact with all of his might, none of them would have gotten out alive.

And yet she still...

Either the weight of it hadn't hit her yet, or she was being ridiculous, even for her. From his own experiences with the girl, the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle...no, "Yuu", Miho had now called him (_"You look a lot like Yuugi...but you're not Yuugi at all. But you need a name; Miho can't exactly call you 'Mr. Spirit' or 'Mr. Puzzle' all the time, and you don't remember your name... Ummm...Miho will call you 'Yuu' from now on! That's a nice name, right? It's like Yuugi, but not Yuugi, just like you."_), was going to go for the former.

"And besides," An afterthought, barely carried in the weight of the hospital room. "Yuu has done the same for Miho. When Miho was in bad situations, you would always come and save her. Miho should save you sometimes, too, right?"

The Spirit said nothing. Even if he could, it would have been lost in the moment, as the door to Miho's hospital room had then opened, and a dishevelled Yuugi, alongside an equally scruffy Jonouchi, poked their heads in. Their somber faces brightened immediately at the sight of Miho's uncharacteristically reserved—but conscious—face, and any conversation that could have been made with his unexpected (and at some times, unwilling) partner was at a complete stop.

---

* * *

---

Miho was no hero. She knew that much; she wasn't the sort of girl who could rescue someone from a speeding car, or try to track down a criminal crawling around loose in her store. No, no...Yuu did enough of _that _sort of thing for the both of them. In the warehouse with Warashibe; in the back alleys with that strange man who was trying to perv himself on her and Anzu; at Death-T; when the Crazy-Bakura attacked them while playing that RPG game; during Duelist Kingdom...he was always there at the forefront of things, taking control and never giving any quarter to his foes. Or for that matter, giving _her_ any say in the matter.

He was egotistical, rude, cruel, controlling, and sometimes even savage. He took her body without asking most of the time (this habit of his had gone on a sharp decline since Duelist Kingdom ended), and sent her off to do impossible things, like competing in card games that had more at stake than pride and fame. He also had a problem with privacy and showing up at the wrong time (though after the first time Miho let out the "shriek that could send the shadows back to Hell" when Yuu had decided to 'come out' while she was taking a shower, he'd quickly learned his lesson to never do _that_ again), but that was a story for another day.

All in all, Yuu was not the nicest person to share headspace with (though he did have his very good points, Miho had to admit), and certainly he had his boring moments. But at the very least, he was _active_. If something needed done, he did it, without hesitation. He had drive, with an inner fire to match it ember to ember.

Miho may have had fire, which usually ended up in situations with her needing saving more often than not, but it wasn't his sort of fire. _Her_ fire was yelling and screaming defiantly, flailing her arms and arguing her point until she was blue in the face, or blind determination to get something or other done, usually of little significance or at least of a less dangerous nature.

She wasn't _brave_, nor was she _heroic_.

"Miho? Are you...really okay?"

Miho glanced up, giving Honda a small, reassuring smile. He was always so nice to her, even when she was at her worst, and her cruelest. He really was a good friend. "Miho's okay! Don't worry about her."

"But you were in that fire!" Thankfully this wasn't the Honda of a year ago, who was so melodramatic about matters concerning her that he wouldn't even let her hold a _yo-yo_ without panicking, but standing beside her in matters of life-and-death perhaps mellowed him out somewhat. Or at least, running around and saving the world (and ditching school in the process) showed him that you could be a 'good, upstanding citizen' without having to run around and obsess over rules. He was even speaking in his old 'rough' speech again—the way he had spoken in Elementary School, before he'd jumped on that "Beautification Society" bandwagon. "You're sure there's no lasting burns? Nothing that will leave scarring? You didn't ingest any--"

"_Hondaaaa_, Miho said she was fine!" Miho laughed. "You really don't have to worry about her. She's okay!"

In all honesty, she hadn't been thinking clearly when that man had ripped that puzzle from her hair, or even about the duel that followed. All she'd wanted was to get that Puzzle back. She wasn't thinking straight when she saw it shattered before her eyes, forced to sit on a rung while she duelled with her own deck—Not Yuu's; Yuu duelled with Yuu's deck, and Miho duelled with Miho's...granted, Miho's wasn't as strong as Yuu's was, but the Light Deck she'd constructed with the Spirit's help did the job all right—in hopes of getting it returned to her.

"I just can't believe you'd do something like that." Leave it to Anzu to lecture her rather than offer reassuring platitudes. With _Yuugi_ she certainly didn't act this way—but then again, Miho was a long, very far cry from Yuugi. "You could have gotten yourself killed! What were you _thinking_?"

"Miho knows. Yuu said the same thing to her."

Anzu blinked. "'Yuu'?"

"The man living in the Millennium Puzzle. Miho named him."

Jonouchi made a face. "Sounds like something you'd call a dog."

"No, it doesn't! Yuu is a very nice name...and he doesn't mind it. At least...Miho doesn't think he minds."

"Well, I think it's a good name, Miho."

"See? _Yuugi_ thinks it's a good name!"

"But doesn't he _already_ have a name?"

"He didn't tell Miho. He just told her to give him a name, if she needed to call him something so much."

"But of all the names..."

...Then Miho had tried to redo the puzzle, and the fire started. Even then, she didn't know what she was thinking. She'd just let her mind turn off and her instincts run with her, pieces flying in the puzzle as though it was something of a memorized dance...going straight to autopilot and numb to the smoke burning her lungs, and the heat touching her skin.

The only thing that entered her mind was one thing: If she didn't do this, she wouldn't be able to talk to the Spirit of the Puzzle anymore.

Miho wasn't heroic. She wasn't strong. But Yuu _was_; he was her protector and friend, even though she probably wouldn't have even talked to him had they met in different circumstances. Actually, it was quite likely that they would have despised each other.

Miho touched the puzzle, now in her lap in a heap, fingers ghosting along the surface. It felt so warm, even in the too-cold hospital room, with the notoriously bad air conditioning and a cup's worth of spilled ice water along the front. Almost like how a person was warm...was alive.

_Yuu...you were alive once, right?_

He had said, mere days before all this, that he didn't know how he became sealed within the puzzle, or why the fates had chosen Miho to be the one to solve it. He didn't know anything about himself. Not his name, not his birthplace, not even his parents or his favorite things. If Miho had lost her heart, and had decided to follow her more human instincts and run away, he could have possibly spent the rest of eternity unable to figure those things out. Gold melted in extreme heat, after all, so there would have been no puzzle _left_ after that. And with no puzzle...Yuu would have had no past.

_"...Are you all right?"_

Miho couldn't see where he was, but she could hear his voice. More and more, though, she'd been able to see him more clearly, these days. It was as though he was actually there with her, in body...not just as a disembodied voice that occasionally filtered itself into her head. Though this time his presence was more like a simple touch—there was no physical manifestation this time, so far as she could see; just that weird, hot-cold feeling that touched the back of her neck to let her know that he was out, alert, and present in her consciousness.

She glanced around; Ryou and Anzu were talking amongst themselves, while Jonouchi and Yuugi were teasing Honda about something or other...Miho had, admittedly, not been paying much attention.

She smiled a little, though.

"Miho's okay. Are _you_ okay? The puzzle isn't hurt? You're not hurt?" Her voice was quiet—barely able to constitute as 'words'...but that seemed to be the majority of her and Yuu's conversations these days.

_ "I'm fine. You simply seem...distracted."_

_ "_It's been a long day. Miho's a little tired."

_"Long enough for the both of us, I suppose. If you're feeling tired, you should get some rest."_

_ "_Miho will, once everyone goes home. Miho would be rude to go to sleep while everyone is here."

_"It is also rude to ignore your friends while they are here, concerned about you."_

Miho threw a pouty face; after all, just because she couldn't see him, didn't mean he couldn't see _her_. She'd learned _that_ lesson the hard way. _"_You're mean to her even when Miho's hurt."

_"__**Miho**__—"_

_ "_Okay, okay! Miho will talk to her friends now!"

Yuu's voice grew silent then, and his presence slid into the background. But as far as Miho could tell, she didn't get the slight headache that came with the spirit-inhabiting-your-body equivalent of a light bop on the head (sometimes she thought that him actually having a physical body and bapping her on the head would be better than the headaches she would get sometimes), or the usual stomach churning she received when he was disappointed with her or cross about something.

So he wasn't upset, then. That was a relief. With all things considered, a pissed-off Yuu was the _last_ thing she needed.

"Miho, are you sure you should be carrying the puzzle around, now that someone tried to rip it away from you?" Anzu asked a legitimate question, of course. From the expressions around the room...it was probably on everyone else's mind, as well. At least Honda had grown up since his last issue with the Puzzle, when he'd tried to steal it from her room and throw it into the canal to 'save Miho from herself' after Death-T was over with (Yuu wouldn't give her the details of that encounter, but from Honda's reaction to her wearing the puzzle henceforth, whatever happened must have been significant enough to calm him down quite a bit from his previous stance).

"Miho will be fine," Miho said, tucking some spare strands of hair behind her ear. It always felt so weird without her hair pulled back. Even at night, the feeling of hair against the sides of her face felt foreign...almost surreal. "She won't let it get taken away again."

"But Miho," Yuugi said, "You wear it in your _hair_. It's sort of hard to protect it when it's like that."

She shook her head. "Miho won't be wearing it in her hair anymore."

"So like a belt, then?" Anzu asked. "Though that doesn't really seem to suit you."

"Nope. Miho won't be wearing it like that, either. It might fall off, and it would look bad with her uniform."

"Then how will you...?"

"Miho's going to wear it like a pendant, of course."

Nevermind that she had spent most of her time complaining about how ugly and bulky it looked before. She'd tried doing it for a single day, hated how it looked and had stuck to the hair strategy right afterwards. But sometimes fashion had to take a backseat, while friendship had to ride shotgun. After all, there was no telling when someone would try to grab her puzzle again...

_Miho doesn't want that to happen again. And besides, she might get split ends if it's ripped out like that! Wait! She might already have split ends! If she does, then she'd have to cut her hair, and then she'd look ugly! Well, no, short hair isn't ugly—Anzu always makes it look cute and fashionable. But, but! Miho could have split ends all over her hair, and then she'd have to get her head shaved and then she'd become bald, and she'd have to buy wigs, and—!! _

...And that was when Yuu had decided that it was the best time to give her a small, reprimanding headache. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to mention split ends, balding, and wigs when there were more important matters afoot. Or maybe it was just her imagination running away with her again...another common occurrence in the mind and life of Miho Nosaka.

It was a wonder that she did all this for his sake. She duelled a frightening brute by herself to get the puzzle back, she put the thing back together in the middle of a _fire_, and she even decided to push her own natural shallowness to the back burner for the sake of his vessel's safety. All this for a surly, rude, grumpy, easily-angered man living in a magical puzzle and her subconscious, who simultaneously treated her with the utmost respect as well as the irritated contempt one would give to an unruly child in the same breath with opposite sides of his face.

He was everything she wasn't, and yet everything she wished she could be more like (without the anger issues and the occasional immature outbursts via his own particular brand of melodramatic sulking). He was all that, and more trouble than any disembodied spirit with his magical puzzle had any right to be.

She supposed she saved him back then. She had done something 'heroic', like he often did. Maybe that was Yuu's true power: he could make anyone, even someone like Miho, do things that they didn't know they could do, no matter how crazy...And have no regrets about it.


End file.
